Receptacle-filling machine



V. M U LLER RECEPTACLE FILLI-[NG MACHINE Fild June 20, 1921 sSheets-Sheet 1 Fig-1 Jan. 1, 1929. 1,697,201

V. MULLER RECEPTACLE FILLING MACHINE Filed June 20, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet2 f F 16:2 P 1' 63-3 frwenzor:

= Jam-1, 1929.

V. MULLER RECEPTACLE FILLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet me. -'E

Filed June 20, 192'7 //7 www.-

THQ 7 Plans its. 1, 1929.

, renal Parana rier VICTOR MULLER, OF STRASBOURG, FRANQE,

REGEPTACLE-FILLING HACBEEJE.

a lication filed Jun e20, 1927, Serial Io. 20am, and in France March 18,rear.

' This invention relates to a machine for fillin tins, jars and sim larcontainers with semiiquid materials such as tomato sauce,

marmalade, mustard, oil, varnish and the,

like, its object being to provide efficient .means for dispensingcorrectly measured quantities without overflow and waste.

With this. object in. view the invention consists essentially insupplying the materials through constantly opened filling nozzles whichare exchanged for different materials and for different fillingquantities. The discharge of materials from the nozzles is interruptedafter each filling operation by putting the supply receptacle underreduced pressure, and the filling is rectified ina manner known per seby means of aspirating nozzles which are lowered into the containers toa predetermined level.

Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a diagrammatic side viewof the apparatus, s

Fig. 2, a diagrammatic front view of the same,

Fig. 3, a diagrammatic view of the device for actuating the aspiratingnozzles,

Fig. 1, a diagrammatic view of the device for reducing the pressure inthe supply re ce tacle,

ig. 5, a side view on an enlarged scale of the filling and aspiratingnozzles,

Fig. 6, an enlarged front view of the same together with the devicewhereby the act uating nozzles are actuated, and

Fig. 7, an enlarged view of the mechanism for reducing the pressure inthe supply receptacle.

The apparatus comprises a closed supply receptacle 12 which is fed withthe semiliquid material through a float valve 31., thefioat 30 of whichis situated in the receptacle so asto maintain the liquid in the latterat a constant level. There is also a closed tank 18 wherein a lowpressure is maintained by any suitable means acting through a pipe .32.The lower end of the tank 18 is connected through a pipe 33 with theupper part of the receptacle 12 and is situated on a higher level sothat liquid can be discharged from the tank into the receptacle. Theupper parts of both vessels are also connected through pipes 24 and 26which meet in a three-way cock 25 adapted in one position to set the twovessels in communication with each other and .fillin necte through armswhich are vertical and in alignment in another position to set thereceptacle 12 in communication with the atmosphere.

The receptacle 12 feeds its liquid into a hopper 13 which in theillustrated device terminates in three oblique discharge spouts 13-fittedwit-h valves 1e. Each spout opens into a Y-pipe 34 one arm ofwhich is adapted to'receive, by means of a joint 15, a

nozzle 16. The t -pipes are all conwith the nozzles 16, to a pipe 17which opens into the upper part of the receptacle 12. Arranged in closeproximity to each filling nozzle 16 is an aspirating nozzle 20. All thenozzles 20 are connected to a vertical pipe 35 which is arranged toslide in brackets 36 and 37 and which is controlled by a spring 38. Aflexible connection 39 oins the pipe 35 with a pipe 19 through which thenozzles 20 thus communicate with the upper part of the tank 18 so as tobe subjected like the latter to reduced pressure.

The tins or other containers 11 which are to be filled with the liquid,are placed, three abreast, on platforms 10 connected to an endlessconveyer belt 1 which is carried over rollers .2 and 2 so as to presentthe containers in succession to the filling nozzles 16. The belt ismoved intermittently, the roller 2 being for this purpose controlled bya disc 3 having radial notches d which receive-in turn a driving pin 5connected to a continuously revolving disc 6. The latter is rotatedthrough the medium of conical gears '7, 7', a driving shaft 8, and apulley 9. A cam 21 operates, by means of a rod 22, a double-armed lever23 which engages a collar on the pipe 35 so as to lower the latter andthe nozzles 20 in opposition to the spring 38. Another cam 27 operatesthe three-way cook 25 through the medium of a rod 28 and a lever arm 29:

The action is as follows:

The valves 14 are normally open, and the receptacle 12 feeds its liquidthrough the hopper 13 into the containers 11 through the open nozzles16, the receptacle being connected to the atmosphere through thethree-way cock 25. During the filling the nozzles 20 are lowered intothe containers so as to removefrom the latter any liquid that happens tobe fed into the containers in excess of a predetermined quantity. Theliquid thus sucked up by the nozzles 20 is interrupted by the operationof the three way cock which sets the two vessels into communication'with each other, thereby' lowering the pressure in the supplyreceptacle. Any air drawn in through the nozzles 16 owing to thedepression in the receptacle, will have a tendency to follow thevertical arms of the Ypipes 34 and pass.

through the pipe 17 into the upper part of the receptacle, it being thusprevented from bubbling up through the liquid. While the supplyreceptacle is subjected to depression, the nozzles 20 are withdrawn fromthe containers, and the belt 1 is moved so as to present a fresh set ofcontainers to the filling nozzles, whereupon the process is repeated,the three-way cock being operated so as to set the supply receptacleinto communication with the atmosphere. I

It will be observed that all the operations take place while the disc 6revolves once about its axis and that, therefore, the quantit of liquiddelivered to each container wi be dependent upon the magnitude of theflow. This magnitude can be varied within the capacit of the pipes 34 byapplying to the latter ling nozzles of different sizes.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for filling containers with semi-liquid material,comprising a supply receptacle, exchangeable filling nozzles connectedto said receptacle, means for feedin the containers to said nozzles,means for re ucing the pressure insaid receptacle temporarily so as tointerrupt the filling, aspirating nozzles, and means for lowering saidaspirating nozzles into the containers when the filling is interruptedso as to take off material above a certain level in the containers.

2. An apparatus for filling containers with semi-liquid material,comprising a closed supply receptacle, exchangeable filling nozzlesconnected to said receptacle, :1 conveying apron for presenting thecontainers to said nozzles, a closed tank maintained at a low pressure,a three-way cock through which the supply receptacle can communicateeither with the tank or with the atmosphere, means for operating saidcockso as to set the receptacle in communication with the tank forinterrupting the filling, aspirating nozzles connected to said tank, andmeans for lowering said aspirating nozzles into the containers so as totake off material above a cerain level.

I 3. An'apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the tank isarranged at ahigher level than the supply receptacle and connected to the latter soas to return to the same any liquid sucked up through the aspiratingnozzles. 1

4. The apparatus claimed in claim 2 in combination with a pipeconnecting the filling nozzles with the upper part of the supplyreceptacle so as to deliver to the latter any air sucked in through thefilling nozzles.

VICTOR MULLER.

